Children Can Be Cruel
by Winterfrostbites
Summary: It's scientifically proven that children without proper guidance during childhood tend to develop a few to many problems. Mari only began to grasp the depths of her problems when she suddenly awoke in a town of her favorite fictional universe.
1. Chapter 1

**Unfortunately, I don't own anyone or anything from KHR. They all belong to Amano Akira. However, I do own whatever original characters and crazy theories that I'll fabricate. **

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><p><strong>Children Can Be Cruel<strong>

Bullet 1

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><p><em><span>Full Summary<span>: It's scientifically proven that children without proper guidance during childhood tend to develop few to many problems. Mari only began to grasp the depths her problems when she suddenly awoke in a town of her favorite fictional universe. From Namimori, her journey begins as she eventually discovers that the Mafia is not all sunshine and daisies as the Reborn! universe painted it to be._

_Warnings: Will contain dimension hopping, hints of violence, Gokudera's potty mouth, and uncooperative hospitals._

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><p>Andersen Residence<p>

_Mari's Room_

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><p>Mari was in the middle of coloring a commission for a client when a sudden wave was nausea hit her like a bullet train. Queasy, she pursed her lips and rubbed soothing circles on her stomach in attempts to quell the unease. A small groan escaped her lips when the heaving sensation grew in her abdominal region.<p>

"Are you feeling unwell again?" Someone asked her, their voice laced with apprehension. Mari grunted as she continued her ministrations. She didn't even have to turn around to know that the intruder was Angelina. In their household, only Angelina would rudely invade another's privacy so shamelessly. "You really should get it checked out," Angelina said.

"I did," Mari replied tersely. "The useless old geezer just prescribed me a bottle of painkillers and politely told me to get my ass out of his office."

Angelina merely chuckled and made her way towards the grumbling girl. Stopping behind the smaller girl, she looped her long slender arms around Mari's thin shoulders and leaned down slightly, careful not to set too much pressure on the worn girl. Her wavy, golden locks tumbled past her shoulders as she gently embraced Mari. "You should just go and rest, Mari. It's not like you need to work. Ma and Pa can get you anything you want. We've got the money."

A scowled tugged at Mari's thin lips as she shrugged Angelina off her. "Like I don't know that," she retorted, annoyed. "I don't want to rely on you guys. I can provide for myself."

"Ma and Pa would be sad to hear that."

"Yeah, I know," Mari replied, sounding unconcerned. Turning back to the blonde standing behind her, she said, "Can you leave now? I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Sure," Angelina said, unaffected by her blatant disregard. In the four years that they've known each other, Mari never bothered to mask her aversion towards the older girl. Constantly, she'd bluntly voice her feelings and ask to be left alone, but Angelina always insisted on sticking to her no matter what. "But I'll come back later to check on you."

"You're disgusting. Don't come to stare at me while I sleep, you creep." Mari grimaced, but Angelina showed no signs of acknowledgement. By the time Angelina left the room, Mari looked positively green with nausea. Groaning in discomfort, she weakly pushed herself off her chair and stumbling to her bed with the grace of a drunken man. Gingerly, she settled in the bed, fearing that any sudden movements would cause her to expel gallons of vomit at the speed of light. As improbable as that notion sounded, it was exactly how she felt.

"I just want to stab this nauseous feeling," Mari moaned painfully as she curled into herself. This really was not the time to be feeling sick, she thought to herself miserably. Her promised deadline was quickly approaching and it'll stain her spotless record of promptness if there was even a single delay. Everything must be perfect, or she might as well not bother doing it at all.

Eventually, after her energy was completely spent, slumber came and drifted her miserable self into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>Namimori<p>

_XXX Street_

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><p>For the first time in weeks, Sawada Tsunayoshi felt contentment bubbling in his chest from the peace and tranquility of his life for the past few days. Ever since the Reborn came into his life, trouble just tumbled after the pint-sized toddler and crashed headfirst into the unsuspecting Tsuna. Just when he thought that it was bad enough to be forced to become the boss of the Vongola family, the entire incident with Mukuro occurred, bringing him many sleepless nights and back-breaking pain.<p>

After Mukuro and his subordinates were dragged bodily away by the mysterious people of Vendicare, some semblance of normality returned to Tsuna's life along with the itching sensation of sympathy for his enemies' demise. A slight frown marred his youthful face as he wondered about Mukuro. Despite the pain and injuries that he and his friends received, Tsuna still couldn't help but to feel sorry for him after witness him being dragged away in chains.

Chains, he thought, gnawing at his lower lip. The method the Vendicare use to escort their prisoners was simply horrid. Even the police merely handcuffed the felons and cart them off in a very humane manner.

Suddenly, a shiver crawled down the length of his spine, drawing a violent shudder from the scrawny boy. Snapping out of his daze, Tsuna nervously screened his surrounds with his wide brown eyes, attempting to pinpoint the source of his unease. Other than his friends happily chattering around him, there was a mother with her young son walking up the path.

It can't be the_m_, Tsuna told himself as he eyed the joyous smiles on their faces, because happy people can't be bad people. His eyes darted across the street to an empty sidewalk. Confounded, he glanced around, but found nothing that could have been the source of his discomfort.

A sudden cry from Lambo surprised him and he immediately rushed to the toddler. "What's wrong, Lambo?" he asked, instinctively scanning the careless child for any signs of injuries. "Did you hurt yourself again?"

Lambo upturned his nose at him in response. "Ha! Lambo-san is invincible. Nothing can hurt me!" he insisted and tackled Tsuna's legs to emphasize his so called strength.

"Alright, alright," Tsuna sighed, slightly annoyed. "So, what's the problem?"

Lambo hummed as he stared up at the teen thoughtfully, as if pondering on whether to disclose information to him or not (which was ridiculous, Tsuna thought, because what can a kid know?). The child pointed a finger at the dimly light alley to their side, gazing into the shadows as if they held a great important secret. "You know, Dame-Tsuna," Lambo began, voice hushed. "There a ghost in there!"

Tsuna blanched. "Don't be ridiculous, Lambo!" he exclaimed with a hint of nervousness. "T-there are no such things as ghost." He attempted to appear fearless, but his stuttering betrayed his anxiety. Tsuna looked at Gokudera for assurance. "Isn't that right, Gokudera-kun?"

The Italian jumped to support his beloved leader and nodded furiously. "Of course, Tenth!" he insisted vehemently. Glaring at Lambo, he said, "Stop dreaming in board daylight with your eyes open, you little snot." Lambo scowled at their responses and stomped his little feet indignantly. Yamamoto gave his typical carefree laugh and attempted to soothe the tension, but they paid him no heed.

"There really is a ghost there! There is!" the little afro-sporting child insisted with tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. With a small distressed cry, he pointed into the alley again. "See, there's a pair of legs over there. It's the ghost's!" They followed the direction of his outstretched arm, squinting dubiously, but at the sight of a pair of thin, pale, and battered leg, their eyes widen in astonishment. Tsuna gave a small shriek of fear.

"A d-dead body!" he cried with an ashen expression.

Lambo shook his head with a small exasperated sigh. Condescendingly, he smirked, "I told you, stupid Tsuna. There's a ghost in there!"

Tsuna freaked as Gokudera and Yamamoto stared blankly at the visible limbs. "Oh god, what should we do? We found a dead body!" He tugged at his brown locks in distress. "T-that's right, the p-police! Someone call the police."

"Calm down, Tsuna," Yamamoto, who recovered from the initial shock said kindly. "It's probably just a drunk who passed out in the alley. It happens sometimes. Murders don't usually occur in this part of Namimori."

Gokudera voiced a grudging agreement with a constipated expression, as if agreeing with the baseball player greatly pained him. "He's right, Tenth. That bastard Hibari wouldn't let crimes like murder occur in his precious Namimori."

"T-that's true…" Tsuna stammered, calming visibly, but his face remained placid. "There's no way Hibari-san would let a dead body litter the streets of Namimori, right?" He croaked a forced chuckled. "T-that's definitely it…!"

Lambo fiercely protested their conclusion. "No," he screamed, beating Tsuna's legs with tiny fists. "It's a ghost for sure. I'll prove it." Annoyed, Gokudera aimed a light kick at the child, but the sniffling toddler nimbly slipped away and made a beeline for the dark alley. Realizing his intentions, Tsuna started after him, attempting to stop the unruly boy, but Lambo dodged out of the way with surprising dexterity. They continued their short mock game of tag until Tsuna stumbled to an abrupt halt, nearly stepping on one of the bruised limbs in his haste.

Lambo toddled to the unmoving figure's side curiously. "Oh," he lightly remarked, slightly taken back. "It's a girl ghost."

"It's a girl…" Yamamoto faintly echoed, right behind Tsuna with Gokudera at his side. "It wasn't an old drunk like we thought." His hazel eyes darkened grimly as they trailed over the unconscious girl's tattered form. "But…this is quite terrible," he said, gesturing at the bruises and scratches that marred every inch of visible skin.

"Shit," Gokudera swore with a grimace. "What bastard would do something like this to a kid?" Tsuna nodded mutely in agreement. The girl appeared to be their age, but younger, with hints baby fat lining her cheeks and a small, demure form. Eying the matted silvery strands fanning out around her head, Tsuna could easily see why Lambo had thought of her as a ghost. Coupling her hair with her dirty white dress that was fraying at the hem, the girl truly did resemble the traditional description of apparitions.

"She's got an awful lot of booboos," Lambo said thoughtfully. "Hey, stupid Tsuna, do you think she got in a fight with another ghost?"

"Maybe," Tsuna replied, indulging the child's naivety. Flipping open his phone, he dialed the hospital to alert them of their newest patient.

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><p>Sawada Residence<p>

_Living Room_

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><p>"What do you mean you can't keep her?"<p>

"_We apologize, Sawada-san,"_ the nurse from Namimori Hospital droned, not sounding as sorry as she claimed to be. _"But it's our policy to keep patients without citizenship for only three days."_

"But she's hurt and I have no idea where she's from!" Tsuna exclaimed in frustration. He was tempted to kick the wall in his fury, but decided against it when he remembered how he fractured his foot the last time he gave into his emotions. "Aren't you doctors? Why won't you keep healing her?"

"_Sawada-san, we can't keep her without any sort of information about her,"_ the nurse insisted, voice laced with annoyance. _"Please come to Namimori hospital by the end of today to retrieve her. Thank you for your time. Please have a nice day."_

"No, wait, hold on!" Tsuna cried, but the dial tone was the only response that reached his ear. He ripped the phone away from his ear and gaped at it, stunned.

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><p>Namimori Hospital<p>

_Room 405_

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><p>"So, I'm being kicked out?"<p>

The nurse, a young woman with kind eyes and mousy brown hair flinched and replied in heavily accented English, "No, Miss Mari. The doctor thinks that you are fine now. He thinks it'll be okay to send you home."

Mari merely stared at the flustered woman blankly, trying to wrap her mind around her words. "Oh," she murmured after a moment. "Okay."

"Er, yes," the nurse stammered, her confidence in her linguistic skills faltering. "Mister Sawada Tsunayoshi will be here soon," she told Mari as she hurried out room, wanting to be as far away from the unnervingly apathetic girl as possible.

Mari stared after her retreating form. "Sawada Tsunayoshi?" she murmured to herself, bemused. "Like the boy from the manga? What a funny name for a person in my dream to have. I think I've been reading too much manga lately." With a heavy sigh, Mari leaned back in her seat and braced her head against the wall, waiting for the unknown person to retrieve her.

She didn't wait long. In a matter of seconds, the sound of someone fumbling with the door knob alerted her, and she tensed, eyes narrowing. A nervous brunette poked his head into the room as his tawny eyes silently roamed around until they landed on her. With a slight awkward smile, he fully entered the room and fidgeted anxious.

"H-hello, Marianne-san," he greeted her in Japanese, pronouncing her name as 'Ma-ri-en' instead of 'Ma-ry-ann' like it should be. She frowned at the butchering of her name and remained silent. His smile wavered at her unresponsiveness. "Um," he cleared his throat and opened the door. "Are you ready to leave yet?"

Mari stared at him, trying to decipher the meaning of his words. "Yeah," she replied in English after a moment of muteness. "Yes, I am." He stared at her, confounded, and then squinted in concentration, trying to decipher her words. Mari sighed heavily as she slowly stood and stiffly made her way to him, body aching with every step. Brushing past him and stopping just outside the room, she turned and inquired, "Coming?"

He blinked. "Um, yes, Marianne-san," he replied in English, his accent even more atrocious than the mousy-haired nurse from before. She allowed him to take lead, rolling her eyes at him as he did so, and slowly followed with leisure steps. They walked in suffocating quietness with him shuffling nervously and her scowling irritably. It wasn't until they've ambled quite a distance, until the hospital faded from view that he decided to make small talk.

"M-my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi," he introduced himself with shaky English. He offered her another awkward smile which died at her unimpressed expression. Pink crept from his neck, dusting his cheeks, and travelled up to the tips of ears as he shrunk back, curling slightly into himself in embarrassment.

She scoffed at him with a small snort. Lips curling into a smirk, she replied, "I know." Surprisingly, he understood her with what feeble linguistic skills he has, and appeared quite taken back. Unsure of how to reply, he opted to shoot her another wobbly smile and continued to lead the way. He didn't try to start another conversation after that, or even look her way, so Mari began to discreetly observe him. At first glance, the boy vaguely resembled the Sawada Tsunayoshi of the manga, but up close, she realized, he was exactly what the character from the manga would look like in real life.

"Huh," she said dazedly, shocked at her newfound insight. 'Tsuna' gazed her curiously, but immediately looked away when she stared back uninterestedly. _'What an absurd dream to be having,'_ she mused to herself. She peered at him again, bemused by her discovery. His hair was still every bit gravity-defying and his eyes impossibly wide, nearly half of his face's width. His eyelids were highly defined, his brows in thin arches, and his brow bone was unrealistically high for an Asian. Overall, he was the epitome anime character with his improbable facial structure. "Huh," she murmured again.

"Marianne-san," Tsuna said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She abruptly halted and backtracked a few steps to not crash into him. He didn't seem to notice her blunder, and made a slight gesture at the house they stood before. Mari tilted her head at it inquisitively, squinting faintly as recognition flickered in her eyes. "Here is my home." He told her as he scratched his cheek with a bashful smile. He made a beeline for the door before turning at gazing at her imploringly. She took it as a sign to follow him and complied.

He led her to the kitchen where a woman bustled about, humming joyously as she cooked. Mari sniffed appreciatively at the aroma of food and glanced around interestedly. "Mom," Tsuna addressed the woman in Japanese. "I've brought her home."

The woman, Sawada Nana turned to look at them. As she made eye contact with Mari, she beamed and kindly said, "Welcome, Marianne-san! Tsu-kun told me of your predicament. You're free to stay with us for as long as you like."

Mari blinked in surprise when she understood her (_Huh, I understand Japanese_, she thought) words. She returned a small smile and said, in slightly accented Japanese, "Thank you, Sawada-san. I'm very grateful for your help." Nana smiled at her words before returning to her cooking, leaving Tsuna to gape at her in disbelief.

"You understand Japanese?" Tsuna squeaked in surprise. "B-but, I thought-!"

Her lips tugged into an amused smirk. "It's a recent development," she told him, further mystifying the brunette. _'Since this is dream,'_ she thought as she watched Tsuna splutter incoherently. _'I might as well enjoy it a bit, no matter how odd it is.'_

_-**end**-_

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><p>To clear things up, this is the remake of 'Trapped In This World' that I wrote a while ago. I was completely unsatisfied with my immature and plot-less writing, so I decided to rewrite the entire thing. This here is a short starter to the remake. Unlike before, I have almost everything planned out and ready to be written and published. I hope everyone who followed TITW will enjoy this remake.<p>

Reviews are loved and critics are welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Children Can Be Cruel**

Bullet 2

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><p><em>Chapter Summary: Mari begins to further interact with the people around her and also begins to suspect that she is not dreaming. Yamamoto and his father are properly brought into the picture along with their delicious sushi. Also, the gluttonous Mari and her acid tongue will nonchalantly offend everyone around her. <em>

_Warnings: Freeloading, hinting shoplifting, delicious sushi from TakeSushi, equivocations, and Reborn. _

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><p>Sawada Residence<p>

_Guestroom_

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><p>Life was almost perfect as a freeloader in the Sawada residence. Everything was pretty much great except for occasional annoyances that went by the names of Lambo, Gokudera Hayato, and to a lesser degree, Sawada Tsunayoshi. But other than ignoring them, Mari doesn't bother to complain because what use was it to get worked up in a <em>dream<em>? Arguing with figments of her imagination would be a complete waste of energy.

But still, Mari doesn't think she'd ever comprehend the degree of eccentricity of the Sawada family. Take Sawada Nana as an example. Freeloaders just continue to multiply in her house and drain her funds, but she never complained. All she does is smile kindly and generously offer food and shelter without ever requiring any payment in return. Mari honestly cannot wrap her mind around it. But that's alright, she suppose, because she harbored no desires to get deep and personal with them to begin with. They're just a bunch of fictional characters in her dream and it'd be silly to get attached to them.

Plus, their weirdness might be contagious. She would hate to wake up with a bunch of strange habits and inclinations. Like letting people freeload of her, or something.

"…Mari-chan," Nana called, effectively snapping Mari out of her musings. Warily, she turned to the woman and murmured an affirmation of acknowledgement laced with caution.

Perhaps she was finally going to demand monetary repayment for housing her, Mari thought to herself. If that was the case, then she was in quite a predicament because her physical capabilities were pathetically laughable. Although Mari wasn't too confident in her running speed, she was pretty certain that she could make a mad dash out of the house while evading Nana. She briefly toyed with the idea of jumping to safety from the second floor, but quickly discarded that notion when she realized that she was better off running.

Perhaps she was overthinking it; everything is just a dream, after all. But still, money is money (even dream money), and it was too precious for Mari to hand it over to anyone – even fictional benefactors in her dream.

As if sensing her cautiousness, Nana smiled reassuringly and asked, "I've brought you some of Tsu-kun's old clothes. I noticed that other than your pretty dress, you don't have any other clothes." Mari flushed from embarrassment. It wasn't like she wanted to always stay in one article of clothing and never change. "I hope you don't mind wearing boy clothes for the time being, Mari-chan. I'll ask Haru-chan and Kyoko-chan for help the next time they visit, alright?"

Face still burning from mortification, Mari awkwardly accepted the offered bundle and murmured a quiet thank you. Nana beamed at her and said, "Now, why don't you try them on and come downstairs? Breakfast is ready."

"Yes, Nana-san," Mari dutifully answered as the woman noiselessly exited the room, closing the door close behind her. When the footsteps outside of the guest room faded, Mari dropped the bundle in her arms onto the floor and scowled down at it in distaste. "His clothes suck. He has no taste in clothes at all. But," Mari sighed as she glanced down at the plain white dress adorning her diminutive form. "It's better than constantly wearing this crappy, fraying dress, I guess."

Carefully picking at the clothes scattered before her, she finally pulled out a plain red t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts with a small fish embroidered on the hem. She shuddered, grimacing unhappily, as she tugged the clothes on. She rolled her dress up and threw it to her corner of the room. Eying the additional clothes around her feet, she kicked them, one by one, to join the dress in her corner.

"This sucks," she grumbled as she stomped out of the room. "If this is how boring my dreams are, then I never want to dream again." When she reached the top of the staircase, she halted as a troubled expression overtook her face. "That's right; all of this is just a dream despite how realistic it feels. But…" she trailed off, gnawing at her lower lip. "Why is this dream taking so long? How much time has passed in the real world?"

Worry and concern blossomed in her chest. She wanted to finish her work as soon as possible, and sleeping the day away while dreaming this ridiculously long dream doesn't help at all. Sighing heavily, Mari slowly trekked down the stairs.

'_Speaking of which,'_ she thought pensively, face scrunched up in concentration. _'Usually, dreams are like watching a movie. The dreamer is conscious about the things happening, but has no control over how the dream plays out. Then…'_ Mari's thoughts trailed off as a shiver crept down her spine, causing her skin to crawl and her hair stand. _'…why am I in complete control of my body…?' _

"I...I'm dreaming," she unconsciously voiced, dazed. "Aren't I…?" Her mind spun and scrambled as it threw ideas at her like a rushing river, unrelentingly pushing her to an unfathomable conclusion.

'_Maybe this isn't a dream…?' _

"N-no," she gulped, attempting to soothe the knot that welled in her throat. It's impossible, she insisted to herself, because dimension jumping only happens in fictional stories. _'That's right,_' Mari thought vehemently, refuting her mind's deduction. _'This is just a dream. Things like going into a manga or anime are mere fantasies. This is just a dream, and all I have to do is play along until it ends. It's no big deal.' _

"Mari-chan…?"

She startled and spun towards the voice. There, at the entrance of the kitchen, stood Nana with an imploring expression. Clearing her throat nervously, Mari shakily answered, "Y-yes, Nana-san?" Her brows immediately furrowed at the stutter in her voice, annoyed by how weak she must have sounded. In a steadier, and more confident tone, she added, "Is something wrong, Nana-san?"

Nana blinked at the sudden change. "Ah, it's nothing," she replied hesitantly, unsure of what to say. "Breakfast is ready." Mari gave her a dazzling smile as she made her way to the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, the other occupants of the household had already filled most of the table, saving two seats for Nana and her. Ignoring Tsuna who stammered a 'good morning' to her, Mari made a beeline for her seat and immediately began to devour her breakfast. Her neighbors blinked as they watched her continuously shove food into her mouth, surprised at the ravenous appetite that didn't complement her small body. She finished in a matter of minutes and slouched heavily as she eyed Tsuna across the table. She tilted her head, eying gleaming predatorily as she asked, "What is it? If you aren't hungry then I'd be more than happy to eat your portion."

Tsuna immediately fumbled with his bowl and chopsticks when her hands reached for his side dishes. "N-no," he choked out around his food. "It's alright, I'm eating it." Mari slumped back against her seat and huffed, hunger apparently unsatisfied.

"Maman," Reborn suddenly voiced from his seat as he inclined his head at Nana. "Is something bothering you?"

Intrigued eyes flickered over to the brunette, witnessing her pensive expression before embarrassment overtook her pleasant features. Pink dusted her cheeks as Nana tittered softly, "Ah, it's nothing, Reborn-chan. Please don't worry about it."

Tsuna set his bowl down onto the table with a small concerned frown on his face. "What's wrong, Mom?" he asked, silently urging her to talk with his intense gaze. She met his eyes and sighed in resignation.

"It's just that our funds are dwindling, and –"Nana abruptly halted, trouble worrying at her features. She hesitated, unsure if she should disclose her concerns, but continued quietly, "I'm not sure if there will be enough food for everyone." A suffocating cloud of silence hung over them, pausing all actions and conversations. Even Lambo with all his insensitivity to tension abandoned his argument with I-pin to curiously regard Nana. Nana raised her head, took in the somber faces around her, and stood. As she gathered her dishes into a pile, she gave them a reassure smile and said, "But don't worry, everyone. I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Of course, Maman," Bianchi said soothingly. Everyone at the table nodded in agreement, garnering a grateful smile from Nana. They watched with heavy hearts as she made her way out of the kitchen, presumably to complete some chores.

When her footsteps faded away, Fuuta squirmed nervously and said, "I-I tried, you know? I offered Maman money for housing me, but she just wouldn't accept it." He gazed sadly at Tsuna with his wide golden eyes. "Sorry I couldn't help, Tsuna-nii," he said.

Tsuna shifted uncomfortably. Truth is, he disliked how the freeloaders in his house multiply, and constantly made sure to tell them so. But as he saw Fuuta's sorrowful expression, his annoyance faltered and transformed into guilt. "N-no, Fuuta, I'm not mad," he started. "At least you tried to help. It's more than anyone else did." He shot meaningful glances at Reborn, Lambo, Bianchi, and Mari who merely ignored him. "But still, we should all help Mom."

"Although Dame-Tsuna is stupid, he's right." Reborn said as he calmly sipped his espresso. Tsuna spluttered a protest, but as always, he was disregarded. "To help Maman, everyone – including you, Dame-Tsuna, will be living off their own funds from until the household is stable again."

"Yes, of course, Reborn-san," Fuuta enthusiastically agreed, seeming happy to be able to help out. Bianchi echoed her agreement and proceeded to gaze adoringly at Reborn. Only Lambo, who was making faces at the elite hit man, disagree. The corners of Reborn's lips tugged downward as he jumped at Lambo, a leg extending to kick the baby in the cow-suit to the floor. He second his blow landed, a terrified shriek tore through Lambo's lips as he toppled off his highchair.

Reborn silently landed in Lambo's seat and sneered down at the bawling child. "Are there any objections?" he asked, holding up the pistol that Leon had morphed into threateningly. Tsuna yelped in fear when the gun pointed at him.

"Of course not, Reborn," Bianchi smoothly replied. A small smile played over her lovely features as she murmured, "Although my last job was bothersome, the client offered a very generous paycheck."

"W-what," Tsuna squawked. "Then why don't you just rent an apartment like Gokudera-kun instead of freeloading off us?"

Bianchi chuckled, shaking her head as if greatly amused. "Why, to be as close to Reborn as possible of course," she replied. "Isn't it obvious?"

Tsuna sighed, shaking his head. "I should have guessed..." he murmured under his breath. In his peripheral vision, he saw Mari, silent and pensive. "Mari-san, are you alright?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She blinked at him, and then shrugged noncommittally. "Eh, well, in case you didn't notice like an idiot you are, I don't have any money. I have nothing right now. No money, no nothing." Tsuna immediately gave her a sympathetic look. Noticing this, Mari slyly asked, "How about you pay for my eating habits? Ah, Fuuta, you too. Won't you please help this poor and sad big sister here?"

Tsuna stammered fretfully as Fuuta cheerily said, "I'd be glad to help you, Mari-san." This prompted a smug grin from the silvery-haired girl. "Why thank you, Fuuta," she said pleasantly, pleased with his compliance. "I knew I could count on you."

"That's not allowed," Reborn interrupted, brandishing his gun at her. "The purpose of the rule is to increase the independence of individuals. If you desire money, then get a job."

Mari scowled at him and crossed her arms in annoyance. "What, no," she retorted, glaring at him defiantly. "Manual labor is for lackeys and idiots. Also, I hate doing anything that requires excessive amounts of energy."

Reborn smirked at her. "Well, for a useless weakling like you, I suppose you can afford to be lazy." He said scornfully. "But in the mafia, laziness gets you killed."

Recognizing his insult, Mari's scowl deepened. Then, suddenly, her face lightened into a victorious grin. "That's a good deduction, sweetheart, but too bad I'm not in the mafia. I guess I'll be living after all, huh?" Without another word, she sauntered out of the kitchen, feeling triumphant. She was so caught up in what she considered to be her victory to notice the meaningful smirk on Reborn's face.

By noon, the meager meal from breakfast felt eons old to Mari. She moaned and groaned as she clutched her growling stomach, trying to garner some sympathy from the people around her, but they merely ignored her obvious pains.

"These bitches," she hissed venomously as her stomach let loose another vicious rumble. She kneaded soothing circles on her loudly protesting abdominal in useless attempts to quell the pangs. Mari slowly pushed herself onto her feet, body swaying unsteadily as she staggered to the kitchen. She noisily entered, alerting the humming Nana who was cleaning the counter. _'Hah, Nana will definitely give me food,'_ she thought as she directed her widen and teary eyes at the woman. "Nana-san," she whimpered pathetically with quivering shoulders and small sniffles, "Can I please have some food?"

Nana's eyes were soft and sympathetic as she took in Mari's miserable appearance. Immediately, she began to make her way to the refrigerator, planning to fix up a quick meal for the famished girl, but hesitated and bite her lower lip in distress. She stepped away from the fridge with apologetic eyes, and said, "Sorry Mari-chan, but I promise Reborn-chan I wouldn't give in no matter what. He said you're training yourself to be more independent and this is the only way to help you."

Mari's doleful expression slipped away as her jaw dropped in shock. She gaped and did a rather accurate impression of a fish as her jaw snapped shut and fell again repetitively. Finally, she weakly choked, "What?"

"Reborn-chan insisted that increasing your independence was what you wanted," Nana explained. "Um, it's very mature of you to want to work for your own needs, Mari-chan. I wish my Tsu-kun was as mature as you, really."

Mari dipped her head, chin hovering over her chest, and gritted her teeth in response. After a moment, to a concerned Nana, she murmured, "Reborn told you to do this?"

Nana blinked in confusion at her question. "Er, yes," she slowly replied as she tried to make sense of Mari's words with no avail. Gazing worriedly at the motionless silver-haired girl before her, Nana gently probed, "Hey, are you alright, Mari-chan?"

A series of giggles erupted from Mari, surprising and alarming Nana, as she looked up with a beaming smile. "Of course, Nana-san," she chirped with a much too wide grin that almost appeared painful. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, but didn't wait for an answer as she made her way out of the kitchen. "By the way," Mari called over her shoulder to a thoroughly confused Nana. "Thanks for your help, Nana-san."

Upon her immediate exit, Mari's cheery grin melted away into a fierce scowl. Mari angrily stomped her way to Tsuna's room and loudly slammed the door open, greatly startling one of figures in the room. Eyes ablaze and nostrils flaring, Mari roared, "Damn it, Reborn!"

Tsuna cringed at her blatant rage. "P-please calm down, Mari-san," he implored as Mari made a beeline to his nonchalant tutor beside him. "Let's peacefully resolve any problems, okay?"

She snarled at him. "Stay out of this, Sawada Tsunayoshi, or I'll pummel your face in," she threatened. He shrieked in fear, but at her vicious glare, he clamped his hands over his mouth in compliance. Satisfied with his silence, Mari turned to the baby who was calming sipping his espresso, unfazed by her anger. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" she hissed as she jabbed a finger at him.

He raised a delicate brow and smoothly asked, "What do you mean?"

Mari huffed and puffed indignantly as she struggled to regain her composure. "Why are you purposely depriving me of food when Nana had no qualms with feeding me?" she inquired after a lengthy silence. His callous onyx eyes bore into her as he proceeded to stare her down despite being at least three heads shorter. Mari's poise wavered, but she stubbornly stared back.

"Didn't you say so yourself, outsider, that you're not part of the mafia? That you're not part of my student's family?" Reborn asked chillingly. Tsuna shivered at his frosty tone as Mari spluttered. "Since that is so, I see no reason for this family to aid you in any manner. You're not our ally, or even strong enough to be of use to us." Mari stumbled back, shocked and perturbed at his harsh words, but remained silence. Reborn continued, "There is no need to help you because you are absolutely _useless_."

Mari crumbled; her face pale and placid as she fell back from the brunt of his frankness. She sat there, limb weak and body shaking as his endlessly dark eyes drilled into her carmine ones. She wanted to scream, protest, and throw a tantrum the size of Russia, but found herself unable to. There is truth in Reborn's words, after all. She wasn't one of Tsuna's Guardians, his precious people, or even part of the Vongola at all. But above everything else, she was weak. She'd hate to admit it, but she was even weaker than Tsuna, who fail in every way, but has his Sky flames and whatever meager battle prowess that Mari doesn't have at all.

She doesn't have anything. No flame, no battle ability, or even a few bucks. Mari's lower lip quivered as she sniffled. _'What I wouldn't give to have some money,' _she thought to herself glumly. _'I wouldn't have to rely on these losers if I have money. Money solves everything – even in dreams.'_

"Ah, Reborn, don't be so harsh…" Tsuna feebly voiced, still shaken by his tutor's brutal words. "Mari-san doesn't have any relatives or people to rely on in Japan. It can't be help that she's a bit helpless." Reborn scoffed at him and verbalized some nasty insults which sent the scrawny boy stuttering, but Mari paid them no heed.

'_Oh, that's right. This is just a dream. What am I getting so worked up for?'_ she thought, shaking her head at her own stupidity. Standing, she dusted her behind and slinked out of the room. "This is so stupid," she proclaimed, garnering their attention. Tsuna blinked, confounded by her sudden shift of disposition whereas Reborn narrowed his eyes, annoyed by the blatant dismissal of his scathing remarks.

Once Mari was out the door, she shoved her hands into her pockets and slouched as she ambled down the staircase. Her stomach growled noisily again, cueing another round of grumbling from the small silver-haired girl. When she trod off the last step, she ceased her grumbling in favor of pensively staring at the front door. She hummed thoughtfully, and considered, _'Ever since this dream began, I've been cooped up on this stupid house. Maybe I can go outside? Ah, but what if my dream only takes place in the Sawada household? What if there is nothing on the other side of this door?' _Hesitantly, she inched towards the great wooden door and slowly opened it. To her surprise, the lush greenness of the grass and grayness of the brick fences entered her vision instead of hazy nothingness.

Excited with her discovery, she quickly slipped on a pair of faded purple flip-flops and hurried out the house, slamming the door shut behind her. When she stepped off the Sawada property and onto the sidewalk, she paused and looked around. Just like in both the manga and anime, the streets were oddly vacant and not a soul was in sight.

Mari shuddered, slightly miffed by the eeriness. "Just want kind of town is Namimori anyway? Is it a ghost town, because the lack of people in the streets is really, really creepy." She grimaced as she surveyed her surroundings again. As creepy as the vacant streets are, it's better than staying indoors all day, she supposed. Hesitantly, she turned left and treaded cautiously. Deeming there to be no threats or oddities, confidence steeped into her steps and she was almost certain that her feet will lead her to somewhere interesting.

Nearly half an hour later, Mari was still wandering around the empty street, completely lost and had no idea where to go.

"Shit," she cussed vehemently as she kicked a stray pebble. Mari eyed the numerous houses that appeared near identical to one another and swore again. "Who the hell was the idiot that designed these houses? Damn it, why do they all look the _same_? This is bullshit!" Mari cried in frustration, eyes stinging and vision blurring as she felt tears gathering. "Where the hell is the deli? I'm starving here, damn it." She sniffled wetly and rubbed at her eyes with clenched fists. Forlornly, she pressed a hand against her grumbling stomach in attempts to soothe the pangs.

There was a sudden screech of rubber against pavement from behind and she jerkily turned, alarmed. Mari stared, crimson eyes wide and unblinking as her heart raced, at the sight of a youthful teen perched on a battered bicycle a short distance away.

"Hey there, little girl," the boy said easily as his thin lips stretched into a bright smile. "Are you lost? Where are your parents?"

Mari narrowed her eyes at his words, annoyed with how he addressed her. "I'm not a child," she said irritably. The boy laughed as he nodded indulgently. Huffing indignantly, Mari upturned her nose at him and turned away to continue walking. After a few moments, he appeared in her peripheral vision, lazing pedaling his bike as he grinned good-naturedly at her.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you. But really, you look lost. Do you need any help finding your way?"

She regarded him sharply, taking in his twinkling golden eyes and his short, tousled hair. He noticed, and grinned, wordlessly encouraging her to speak to him. Mari pursed her lips, a nagging feeling of familiarity tugged at back of her mind. Finally, she said to him, "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

He blinked owlishly at her, smile slipping as his face shifted into an expression of utmost concentration. "Now that you mention it," he said thoughtfully, eyes roaming over her features. "You look kind of familiar too…" The boy hummed deeply, and then abruptly perked up, "Oh! That's right! Aren't you the girl that Lambo found?"

Mari blinked, realization suddenly dawning. "Could it be that you're Yamamoto Takeshi?"

He inclined his head at her, surprised. "Yes, that's me. How do you know my name?" Yamamoto stared at her curiously, an eyes rose in question. Mari twitched when their eyes meet.

"S-stop staring at me!" she told him as she abruptly tore her gaze away. "Anyway, stop looking at me like I'm a creep or something. You're Sawada Tsunayoshi's friend right? He told me about you."

"Oh!" Yamamoto exclaimed. "I see," he nodded sagely. Beaming another cheery smile at her, he said earnestly, "Well, I'm glad you're all patched up now. It was a real shock to find a pretty girl like you all beat up in a random alley." His friendly expression momentary faltered when a slight frown overtook his fetching features. "But the person that did that to you is pretty horrible," he muttered darkly. "Beating up a little girl like you…"

Mari frowned at him. "Shut it," she sighed. "Didn't I just tell you to not call me 'little'?" Her impudence rolled of him, and he merely laughed at her disgruntled expression. "By the way, are there any delis around here? I'm starving."

"Delis…? Ah, you mean convenience stores? There's one a few blocks down," he replied. "Why are you so hungry? It's not even two in the afternoon yet. Did you skip breakfast?" Yamamoto clucked his tongue at her disapprovingly. "That's not healthy, you know? You won't grow properly if you don't intake necessary nutrients.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a kid," Mari hissed, eyes flashing darkly. "And I eat just fine," she retorted. "I just haven't been eating as much lately." Under her breath, she murmured to herself, "You Asians and your tiny diets."

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he studied her mumbling to herself. She was skinny, he decided immediately, almost too skinny. The small girl walking sluggishly beside him was probably a head or two shorter than him, with thin limbs and bony shoulders. Her silvery hair, while exotic and feathery-looking, lacked the luster and shine of healthy hair. She probably hasn't eaten anything fulfilling in while, he concluded. "Hey," he called out softly, and she immediately turned to him. Her cautious eyes were wide and slightly slanted, reminding Yamamoto of a stray cat he saw once. _'She's like a stray,'_ he thought as a small fond smile tugged at his lips, _'All skinny and skittish, how cute.'_

Mari made a small noise of disdain as she sniffed, "Stop staring at me like a creeper, moron. What do you want?"

"Do you have money for food?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh," she said in quiet realization. "Right, I don't have any cash on me right now…"

Yamamoto was immediately concerned. "What? Then how are you going to get food?"

Mari shrugged and waved dismissively at him. "Well, you don't necessarily have to _pay_ for stuff," she told him with a small mischievous smile. Golden eyes narrowed as the boy beside her frowned disapprovingly. She caught his look, and scowled. "What? Don't look at me like that," she snapped. "I don't have any money, and I'm totally famished, you know?"

"Stealing isn't right," Yamamoto insisted, garnering a snort from his companion.

"And letting myself starve is?" Mari countered. "Forget it, muscles for brains. That ain't happening. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. You can't stop me." With a burst of speed, she dashed ahead, putting some distance between herself and the momentary stunned boy behind her. He recovered quickly, and with just two strokes on the peds of his bike, Yamamoto was by Mari again. She glared venomously at him. "Stop following me," she huffed breathlessly. They raced, with her panting heavily and him peddling effortlessly, until Mari slid to an abrupt halt. He mirrored her move a fraction of a second later, hardly winded, and watched as she doubled over gasping for air. "You suck, majorly," she wheezed, spatting insults at him in between gasps.

"My family owns a sushi store," he told her after she regained her breath. "If you're hungry, you can come with me to the store."

"I told you, didn't I? I don't have money. I can't pay for your stupid food."

"That's fine, you don't have to." Yamamoto replied kindly.

Mari pursed her lips at him. His offer was tempting, but he'll most likely demand some sort of payment, and Mari refuse to do anything of that sort. "What if I don't want your sushi?" she asked, upturning her nose at him. She wanted to appear strong and unmoved, but a poorly timed growl rumbled from her stomach and deluded her claims. "C-crap," she muttered, cheeks dusted with pink.

"I think you _do_ want my sushi," he teasingly replied, golden eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Ugh, shut it," Mari groaned. Straightening with what little dignity she had left, she said, quite imperiously, "Well? Where is this sushi store of yours? Lead the way."

Yamamoto chuckled at her cheekiness as he hopped of his bike. With his hands on the handles, he carefully glided it along his side while he walked. Turning back to look at her, he inquired, "Aren't you coming? Hurry up and follow me if you're hungry."

"Right," she replied, and hurried to his side. She was too occupied with glowering at him to realize that Yamamoto was taking extra care to be slow so she wouldn't lag behind.

* * *

><p>Namimori<p>

_Take Sushi_

* * *

><p>"Ah, who is this, Takeshi?"<p>

Marin squirmed nervously as dark brown eyes peered at her curiously. By her side, Yamamoto laughed merrily as he rest a palm on the crown of her head, and said, "This is Mari-chan, isn't she cute? Can we give her some sushi?" The said girl wiggled away from the hand that was gently ruffling her hair, protesting and scowling at him, but Yamamoto merely grinned cheerily and ignored her complaints.

His father raised an eyebrow at him, silently questioning. Awkwardly, he coughed, "Takeshi, she isn't a cat, you know? You can just randomly bring kids home and feed them like strays." Mari nodded in agreement and ducked away from Yamamoto as he reached to tousle her hair again.

"But she is, somewhat," the teen insisted.

Tsuyoshi eyed his son warily, unsure of whether his son had just lost it and turned into a pedophile or not. Finally, after much staring, he delicately asked, "Son, where are her parents?" The addressed son blinked, as if he didn't know the answer either.

"They're dead."

Both father and son gaped at Mari who evenly met their gaze. When concern and sympathy steeped into their eyes and Mari redirected her gaze at the polished wooden walls. "Don't pity me," she said defensively. "They've been dead for a long time. It doesn't really matter." Yamamoto attempted to rest a comforting hand on a thin shoulder, but she merely shrugged him off. "Stop it. Just stop, okay?"

Tsuyoshi squinted at her, observing and taking in her features for the first time. The small girl standing beside his precious son was undeniably a foreigner with her fair skin and hair. Thin arched brows rested over her wide crimson – actual, honest red was a coloration that Tsuyoshi has never witnessed before – eyes. Her silvery hair flowed slightly past her shoulders and her short fringes – oh, her fringes, Tsuyoshi winced - were crudely cropped into a choppy line. The girl had fine, delicate features and Tsuyoshi had no doubts she'd grow up nicely. But still, he couldn't help but to be concerned with whether the child had proper caretakers because she was as skinny as a stick.

"Mari-chan, do you have any adults taking care of you?" Tsuyoshi tentatively asked. Mari hummed in affirmation, garnering a small sigh of relief from both Tsuyoshi and his son. The sushi chef continued, "I see, I see. What is your home like?"

Mari looked thoughtful. "There are a lot of kids around, I guess."

Tsuyoshi nodded. Unsurprising, the little parentless foreigner lived in an orphanage. But the last time he checked, the government gave money to those institutions especially to raise the kids and keep them from going hungry. From the rumbling growl that originated from the blushing Mari, the orphanage doesn't seem to doing quite a good job with the latter responsibility. Mentally, he reprimanded himself; it's still too early to be making accusing conclusions without fully knowing the circumstances. With a smile friendly smile, he asked, "Say, do they make you yummy food at your place?"

Mari perked up at the mention of food. "Yes, the food that the mother makes is very delicious," she told him. "But, well, she said the funds were dwindling lately, so she can't make as much food. But it's still good even if it isn't all that filling, I guess."

"Speaking of food," Yamamoto suddenly interjected as he shot his father an apologetic look. He knew his father was worried, but by the way Mari was hungrily staring at the sushi, he felt that questions can come after the food. "We can give her some sushi, right, Dad?"

"Of course," his father reply as his hands and knife began to move rapidly. Apparently, he didn't miss the voracious gleam in Mari's eyes either. She appeared memorized, eyes wide and mouth agape as she watch Tsuyoshi's blade dance with practiced grace. Yamamoto laughed at her transfixed expression and gently guided her to a stool. While the two younglings chattered, Tsuyoshi quietly listened in.

"Hey, Mari-chan, what kind of seafood do you like?" Yamamoto inquired. "I like everything, especially sushi though, because the sushi that my Dad makes is the best!"

"Ah, I don't really have a preference, I think," Mari replied. "As long as the food is good, I'd happily eat it."

"Aha, it's great that you aren't a picky eater, you know? Eating all kinds of food gives you all the important nutrients you need to grow."

Mari scowled and grumbled unhappily. "…I know, damn it. Stop treating me like a kid, Yamamoto. We're probably the same age, stupid." At the golden-eyed teen's inquiring gaze, she continued, "You're about fourteen or fifteen right?"

"Fourteen," Yamamoto affirmed. Curiously, he asked, "How old are you?"

"I just turned fifteen."

Fortunately, Tsuyoshi was proficient with blades, or he'd have most likely slipped and stab himself in the gut. But he was, so he merely halted to stare alongside with his son, at the silver-haired girl who merely gazed back nonchalantly.

"…But you're so small and short…" the stunned teen murmured.

"It's not like I _want_ to look like I'm in elementary school, you know," Mari muttered darkly, eyes narrowing into a glare. "I'll grow, eventually. I'm just a late bloomer." Stormy expression clearing into a curious look, she turned to the man behind the counter and asked, "Say, Yamamoto-san, are you almost done yet?"

Tsuyoshi shook off his stupor and voiced an affirmation. Mari's eyes gleamed ravenously as he handed her a plate stacked to the brim. She murmured a hurried thanks, they watched in silence as she fumbled clumsily with her chopsticks before shoving food into her mouth like there was no tomorrow. "This is real good," Mari slurred with a mouthful of food. "It's really, really, good. The fish is all soft and somewhat chewy and the rice is wonderfully tasty. You're good, Yamamoto-san." The said man, dazed by the sight of Mari gulping rolls after rolls of sushi down like water, managed a feeble nod but offered no words.

"Mari-chan," the dark-haired teen said from beside her in attempts to calm her frantic pace. "Don't eat so fast, or you might choke. The food won't run away from you, you know?"

The ravenous girl didn't even look at him as she garbled, "I am eating slowly, though. I thought it would be prudent to savor the taste, or something."

"…That's called slow?" Yamamoto asked, gawking at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

He was given no answer as Mari continued to polish the plate of its contents. In a matter of seconds, it was empty and she sagged back heavily, sighing happily. "Wow," she murmured dreamily while she rubbed her slightly protruding stomach with a dainty hand. "I was worried that it wasn't going to be enough at first, but it's surprisingly filling." Flashing Tsuyoshi a lazy grin, she complimented, "You're really talented, Yamamoto-san." Suddenly, she sat up, face no longer blissful, but somber instead. "Sorry Yamamoto-san, but I don't have money…"

The esteemed sushi chef opened his mouth to tell her that her mean was on the house, but his son beat him to it. "It's alright, Mari-chan. I told you that I'd take responsibility for your meal, didn't I?" Yamamoto turned to his father, expression unusually solemn. "Dad," he began in a tone suggesting that he would not take 'no' for an answer. "I'll pay for the meal, alright?"

Tsuyoshi felt his heart warmed at his son's question. He swelled with proud at the act kindness his son was displaying, and laughed, "It's on the house, son, so keep your allowance in your pockets." The man tilted his head towards Mari who was weakly protesting 'their charity'. Despite her words, both father and son noticed the thrilled glow in her bright red eyes.

"But accepting a free meal like this makes me feel bad," Mari told them, attempting to look as wretched as possible. She succeeded, but couldn't contain the hint of glee that steeped into her voice. "Please allow me to repay you with manual labor, or something," she insisted earnestly. However, in her mind, she chanted, _'Don't say 'yes', damn it. Be the stupidly kind people you are and refuse my offer. I absolutely hate working, so you better refuse!' _A pensive expression overtook Tsuyoshi's aged features, and upon seeing it, Mari felt a hint of dread bubbling in her chest.

He hummed thoughtfully, then said, "Well, if you insist, little lady. Tell you what, if you come again tomorrow and help around a bit, I'll make you few dishes, alright?" Perhaps an extra meal or two might pack some meat into the girl's reedy limbs, but Tsuyoshi highly doubted it. It'd probably take more than just a few rolls of sushi to fatten a stick-thin child.

"Ah, that sounds good," Yamamoto cheerily told his father, seeming to understand his intentions. He grinned good-naturedly at the wide eyed Mari beside him, and said, "Isn't that great, Mari-chan. You get to eat my Dad's delicious sushi again!"

'_In exchange for work,'_ Mari thought sullenly. The idea of manual labor didn't appeal to her at all, really. _'But,'_ she contemplated with pursed lips and brows knitted. _'I guess it's better than nothing. This place would be a good place to chill in if that stupid Arcobaleno actually boots me out of the house like he threatened to…Jeez, what a horrible dream this is.' _The corners of Mari's lips tugged downwards as she silently cursed Reborn for making her dream a terrible experience so far. She knew there was a reason why she liked Mammon more than the Sun Arcobaleno despite his strikingly handsome looks as an adult. This must be it, she decided.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Yamamoto inquired at her silence, snapping her out of her thoughts. She jumped, blinking madly in surprise as she stared at his face that suddenly invaded her personal space. She flinched back, garnering a worried probe from him. "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah," she murmured uncomfortably as he leaned in to check her temperature with the back of his hand. Squirming away him his touch, she said uneasily, "Can you not get so close to me? Back off, please." He complied, frowning, and she scrambled off the stool and away from him. She twiddled her thumbs nervously as they eyed her with unreadable expressions. She detests it when people look at her for longer than necessary. Growing exceedingly unsettled, Mari awkward gestured to the clock and prattled, "Er, hey, look at the time. It's already five, I must leave now. Have a nice day, Yamamoto-san, Yamamoto."

"…Dad," Yamamoto quietly addressed after Mari disappeared from sight. "Remember when I told you about the girl my friends and I found in an alley?"

His father gazed at him warily and asked, "It was her, wasn't it?"

Yamamoto didn't reply, but his silence was more than enough.

* * *

><p>Sawada Residence<p>

_Kitchen_

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, the trip back to the Sawada household was a short trip of merely fifteen minutes. By time the time Mari had slowly treaded through the door, everyone was already gathered in the kitchen. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled deeply, trying to intake as much of the enchanting aroma that wafted from the kitchen. It teased her senses and brought forth a small growl from her stomach. Truth was, while the sushi she was served was filling enough, it didn't completely satisfy her.<p>

Curiously, Mari trailed to the kitchen, sniffing noisily the entire way. The sight of the plates crowding the tabletop with heaps of food practically overflowing greeted her, and her stomach let loose another anticipating rumble. Mari felt her mouth water as she gleeful eyes greedily roamed over the table.

"Hey," she called out softly. Tsuna and Fuuta, who were both munching on a slab of steak, turned to her inquiringly. Gesturing to the mountains of food, she asked, "What's up with all this?"

Nana happily interjected and said, "My husband if finally coming back home after two years aboard." The elated woman quietly ushered Mari to the nearest seat, and firmly sat her down with a push on the shoulders. "Eat up, Mari-chan!" Nana insisted with a beaming smile. "You must be tired from playing outside all day."

"…wasn't playing…" the silver-haired girl insisted as she gnawed at a turkey drumstick keenly, sending specks of finely grounded meat flying at the appalled Tsuna beside her.

"Of course not," Nana indulgingly chimed. She generously piled more food onto Mari's plate, and said, "I'm glad you got home just in time for dinner, Mari-chan. Anyway, you guys eat up! I'll go prepare more food." The slender brunette woman hummed a cheery tone as she bustled away.

"Eh, there's going to be more food?" Tsuna cried incredulously. "But, but," he spluttered, gesturing wildly. "Isn't this enough?"

"Of course not," Mari replied between bites. "Keep up the good work, Nana-san," she hollered before returning her attention to Tsuna. "Anyway, I thought you dad was like, dead or something. Isn't he?" She knew about Iemitsu and the CEDEF, of course, but merely asked to divert Tsuna's attention from discouraging his mother from her avid cooking. Just as she expected, his attention was immediately back on her.

He sheepishly rubbed his nape. "Well, Mama said that he was in some random foreign country digging up oil – but I seriously doubt it." A small frown overtook his faces and he continued, in a slightly darker tone, "Honestly, I thought he had just got up, left us, and disappeared."

"Actually," Fuuta said as he munched on a leafy vegetable thoughtfully. "I also thought that he passed away because no one ever mentioned him."

"He might as well be," Tsuna murmured, scowling unhappily. "He's never ever around when we need him." A fork flew pass his head, missing his ear by a few millimeters, startling the jumpy brunette into shrieking fits. Clamping a shaky hand over his ear, Tsuna twisted to glower at Reborn, and cried, "What's up with that, Reborn? Don't just randomly throw things like that at people!"

"Watch your words, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn said dangerously as he glared right back. "Men have their duties that they must fulfill. A mere boy like you won't understand."

Uncharacteristically unfazed, Tsuna stood his ground. "What," he grounded out. "Could be more important than spending time with your family?"

"Protecting the family," Reborn replied simply. "Sometimes, you must sacrifice your happiness for the sake of your precious people. If an important job is not taken seriously, there will be no family to spend time with."

"But what kind of 'important duty' would my dad have?" Tsuna asked, tugging at his brown locks in aggravation. "He's just an oil digger! And – and he totally uncool."

Mari shook her head at his foolishness. _'Doesn't he realize that when Reborn start talking about 'the' family, he's talking about the Vongola Family?' _she thought, despite already knowing the answer. "What a stupid idiot," she mumbled under her breath as Tsuna continued to rant at Reborn about his 'no-good' father. Her mind idly began to drift away as the argument beside her raged on.

The impending arrival of Sawada Iemitsu signals the start of the Varia Arc, she mused. Assuming that her cumbersome dream will drag on, Mari wonders if she should play the clueless civilian and continue to freeload off the Sawada until she gets kicked out, or to try to appeal to Reborn by making herself useful by offering information about the future. She contemplated, carefully weighing the pros and cons, and eventually decided to stick with the first option. Being helpful means drawing attention to her – the unwanted life-threatening type of attention, most likely.

If possible, Mari would much rather stay alive in her dream. She had once read somewhere that dying in a dream can lead to death in real life. Really, she knew better than to believe those kinds of stories, but late-night horror movie marathons caused her to consider.

But, the foremost reason is simply because she is _Marianne Raven_. Mari can't be troubled with hard work or doing favors for strangers – she's too good for that, or so she (and probably Angelina, she added, because Angelina always agrees with her) likes to believe.

"Pft, work," she snorted quietly. "What is 'work'? I've never heard of it before."

"Ah, Mari-san," Fuuta suddenly said to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Jumping slightly, she glanced up to meet his curious hazel eyes. "Are you okay? You were – um, you know, talking to yourself…"

Mari coughed awkwardly as she felt her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She peeked around, and then sighed in relief. Thankfully, everyone was too occupied with Tsuna and Reborn's unending verbal match to notice her slipup. "I was just saying how delicious the food is."

Fuuta arched a thin brow at her. "If you say so," he replied.

Mari felt her cheeks burn hotter as she turned back to her food, moodily stabbing at the steak. _'Damn it,'_ she thought, annoyed. _'Forget Fuuta – he's a brat too. I'm going to fully devote myself to Mammon's money – and maybe him too.'_

* * *

><p><em>Mari's Corner #1: It is foolish and useless to waste energy on a situation that you have no control over. <em>

* * *

><p>Released: 1-10-12<p>

Last edited: 1-12-12


End file.
